With reference to the prior art shown in FIG. 1, it is known in a slip and cut operation of the type mentioned above to support slack in the drill line at an overhead position elevated above the draw works while feeding a new section of drill line reeled off of the supply reel to replaced used line that is being cut from the draw-works. For this purpose, it is known to use a sling of webbing material attached to an air tugger line as a cable guide through which the slack overhead portion of drill line passes upwardly before turning back downwardly into the mouth of the draw-works. The air tugger line, typically used as a hoist to aid in maneuvering of equipment around the drilling rig, hangs down from its winch that is mounted somewhere on the derrick or mast of the rig so as to suspend the sling at an elevation greater than that of the draw-works. However, this can create concern for rig personnel in the form of safety risks created by the uncertainly of when the closed loop formed by the sling might break open when the webbing material eventually gives way to the abrasion experienced under movement of the metal wire rope of the drill line over and through the sling.
Another safety concern arises in that rig workers sometimes find it necessary to use manual tools to ‘hammer’ the drill line into grooves provided for same in the draw-works drum, which can place the worker dangerously close to the moving parts of the draw-works.
It is therefore desirable to provide improved solutions for overhead support of the drill line and proper feeding of the new drill line into the draw-works of a drilling rig during slip and cut operations.